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Any coach, trainer, manager, agent, team staff, official, medical, paramedical personnel, parent or other PERSON working with, treating or assisting an Athlete participating in or preparing for IRONMAN Competition.

There are two ways you may be identified as an Athlete Support Person:

Simply serving in one of the capacities noted above classifies one as an Athlete Support Person- Formal notice of this designation is not necessary for you to be accountable to this role and the associated rules.

You may have been identified by an IRONMAN athlete. All IRONMAN Professional Member athletes are asked to provide a list of the Athlete Support Personnel with whom they are engaged. If you've received notice from IRONMAN that you've been identified as an Athlete Support Person, this means that one of our Professional Members have advised us of your relationship to them in this capacity.

The Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process, outlined below, is a means by which an athlete can request approval to use a prescribed prohibited substance or method for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition.

Athletes should advise all medical personnel of their obligation to abide by the anti-doping rules of their sport and that any medical treatment received must not violate these rules.

Athletes should also check the status of all medications and treatments by visiting WADA’s website to review the Prohibited List - http://list.wada-ama.org/ or use the Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO). It is important to check the status of all medications, supplements and treatments on an annual basis as the list is updated annually (effective January 1). Even if a particular substance or method isn’t banned this year it does not necessarily mean that it won’t become prohibited in a subsequent year.

If the medication is not prohibited, athletes can start using the prescribed medication or treatment.

If the medication is prohibited, athletes should check with their prescribing physician or the sport’s medical personnel if there are any alternative medications or treatments that are permitted.

If there are no permitted alternatives, athletes should contact their National Anti-Doping Organization.

Only in emergency situations (e.g. allergic reaction, exacerbation of asthma, onset of Bell's palsy) should treatment begin without the necessary approval.

6. What tools are available to help athletes navigate their responsibilities?

Athletes, as well as their coaches, trainers and doctors need to stay informed about the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program, their National Anti-Doping Organization’s efforts and competing clean. IRONMAN encourages everyone to know and understand their rights and responsibilities with regard to anti-doping.

Where to start:

Use the resources available here at IRONMAN.com

Follow the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program on Twitter

@IMAntiDoping

Use the resources of the World Anti-Doping Agency

@wada_amawada.ama

You should also connect with your National or Regional Anti-Doping Organization-every NADO and RADO will have resources, tools and information for additional support in your language.

Strict Liability: Athletes are solely responsible for anything they use, attempt to use or is found in their system, regardless of how it got there and whether there was an intention to cheat or not- The biggest cause of inadvertent doping is the careless use of supplements.

All athletes have the responsibility to research any products they intend to take, prior to use.

There is no guarantee that any supplement is free from banned substances. Assess the need for supplement use, if required then assess the risk, lastly assess the consequences.

8. What should my athlete consider with respect to medications when traveling abroad?

Take enough medication to continue any treatment for the duration of the trip

Check the status of all products before you travel

Check that the medication is permitted in the country of travel and whether it is permitted to bring through customs

Any products purchased internationally should be carefully checked. The ingredients in common medications can and do contain different substances from country to country.

Some countries have different customs laws that may prohibit the import of certain substances into a particular country. Athletes carrying a prohibited substance for a legitimate medical condition, should carry the following documents at all times:

The prescription from the prescribing doctor including the name of the substance, the dose and the frequency of use

The Therapeutic Use Exemption Certificate to demonstrate that an authorized anti-doping organization has permitted the use of a prohibited substance for medical purposes.